


Love is a Battlefield

by Annber03



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-01
Updated: 2018-02-18
Packaged: 2018-09-21 08:21:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 6,875
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9539537
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Annber03/pseuds/Annber03
Summary: A series of romance-themed prompts for various pairings among the BAU team, based off of /r/fanfiction's "Pint-Sized Prompts" challenge for the month of February.





	1. Challenge

**Author's Note:**

> **Penelope Garcia/Luke Alvez**
> 
> Went a little over the word count here, but eh, well :D.

_February 1st: **Joy** \- **100 words** \- Let's start off with a dramatic moment: Your characters are [celebrating a victorious battle!](http://i.imgur.com/43cVhpk.gif)_

“Woo! I got this!” Garcia pumped her fists

“You think so, huh? I’m catching up,” Luke taunted, running alongside her.

“Don’t get too cocky, _noob_ ,” Garcia muttered as she sped up.

Normally, Garcia wouldn’t have dared take up running again, not after that damned fitness test. But when Luke was talking about how fast he could run the other day, she couldn’t help seeing it as a challenge. _Somebody_ needed to pop his “I’m awesome!” bubble, damnit.

Besides, he looked kinda hot in those running shorts. Not that she’d ever admit that out loud.

Garcia shook those thoughts away. Luke was closing in, and she was _almost...there…_

“YES!” she cheered, crossing the finish line. “I won! I beat you!”

Luke slowed and bent over, hands on his knees, catching his breath. “You...did good...Garcia.”

Garcia halted at his gentle tone. He gave her a small smile.

_Eh, what the hell?_

Garcia placed her hands on his cheeks, and gave him the biggest lip-smacking kiss imaginable.

The two straightened and stared for a moment. Then Garcia grinned, nudging him with her shoulder.

“...wanna run again, Luke?”


	2. Anticipation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Spencer Reid/Jennifer Jareau**
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> I am crap with following word counts on this series, apparently :p. Oh, well.

_Feb. 2nd: **Blush – 200 words** – Sparkling eyes peek through the door. Character blushes at the attention. And then...?_

The door seemed to be mocking him as he stared at it.

_She won’t answer. She’s changed her mind._

Reid fumbled with his damp hands as he shifted from foot to foot. _Great first impression. What woman doesn’t like a man with sweaty hands?_

He took a deep breath, remembering Gideon’s encouragement. He wouldn’t have suggested this if he thought she’d shoot him down.

Reid slowly raised his hand, rapping out the “shave and a haircut” knock.

A couple seconds later, JJ peered at him from behind the door. Her blue eyes were shining, an excited grin on her face. Reid decided he’d be happy to spend the rest of his life looking at her beautiful face.

“Hey, Spence. Right on time!” she said, shaking him from his thoughts. She took in his outfit. Tie, button-down shirt, slacks. Usual style of dress. There was something reassuring about that.

Reid’s face flushed slightly at her gaze. “I know this isn’t how people typically dress for games -” He gestured to her Redskins cap and red and yellow jersey. “but I didn’t…I...”

“You look _fine_. Trust me.” JJ patted his arm, catching his eye and throwing him a shy smile. “Ready to go?”

He returned her smile. “Absolutely.”

The two made their way down the walk, arm in arm.

Yep. This was going to be a good day.


	3. Distraction

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **David Rossi/Alex Blake**

_Feb. 3rd: **Fear – 100 words** – Our heroes receive a warning about the enemy's latest battle plans._

Two lights shone in the otherwise darkened bullpen. One was in Hotch’s office. Rossi knew he was going to pull a late-nighter over this case.

The other highlighted a woman sitting at her desk, head in her hands.

“Alex?” Rossi asked, making his way down the stairs. “What are you still doing here?”

Blake snapped her head around to look at him. “Oh. Hi. Just...working.”

“There’s no files on your desk,” Rossi pointed out. Blake said nothing.

“It’s this Replicator case, isn’t it?”

Blake sighed. “Yeah. Those photos of the whole team...” She suppressed a shudder. “I just can’t bear the thought of anyone here being in danger.”

“We’ve faced big threats before,” Rossi said, remembering Foyet and Doyle. “We’ll get this bastard, too. I promise.” He placed a hand on her shoulder, rubbing it gently.

Blake smiled. Hard to feel defeated when he sounded so determined.

“C’mon,” he continued. “Let’s go for a late supper. My treat.”

“Okay.” Blake stood, allowing Rossi to help her into her coat. She turned to face him. “Thanks.”

Rossi took her hand in his. “Anytime.”

Somehow the darkness didn’t seem as scary anymore.


	4. Second Chance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Derek Morgan/Emily Prentiss**

_Feb, 4th: **Bravado – S **uper Saturday word count**** – Pay an escalation cost for each add-on._

_****400 words**** – The Characters must act quickly! Out the door, down the road, fearlessly onward, they will meet their enemies on the field of battle!_

_****\+ 200 words**** – Some verbal or physical muscle flexing from the troops._

_****\+ 200 words** ** **–** [An inspiring speech.](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/RousingSpeech)_

_****\+ 200 words** ** **–** [Adventure awaits!](http://i.imgur.com/LotzenY.jpg)_

“That was _torture_ , Ian.”

Emily’s voice dripped with anger as she confronted the man across from her. His gaze was firm, his blue eyes cold. There was no trace of that piercing gaze that had sucked “Lauren” in back in the day. All she saw was hatred, for her, for Chloe, and for women in general.

Mind, Chloe was far from a saint herself, that much had become certain. But even she didn’t deserve what Ian had put her through. Spending any sort of time around him was enough to fuck any woman up to some degree or another, that was just a fact.

Emily continued to hold her intimidating stance as she looked across at this man who’d destroyed so many lives. The moment she saw the slightest slip in his hard demeanor, she knew she had him right where she wanted him.

It was a damn good feeling.

 

* * *

 

Her heart raced as she donned her Kevlar vest. She couldn’t believe it’d all finally come to this point. Doyle was in custody, they’d narrowed down his band of cronies and knew where to find them, she was thisclose to seeing Declan again, _a_ _nd_ she’d managed to reunite with her friends on top of it all.

It was enough to make anyone’s head spin, and for the briefest of moments Emily longed to sit down, to process it all.

Now was not that time, though. Not when they were readying to confront Chloe.

“Hey.”

Emily jumped slightly as Morgan’s face appeared in her line of vision.

“You good?” he asked, brows up, his eyes searching hers. He’d been keeping close watch on her since the moment she walked through the doors of the conference room. Partly because he knew reliving this fight, reuniting with Doyle (albeit under completely different circumstances), could be tough. He was all too familiar with the pain that came with confronting a traumatic part of one’s past.

But the other reason, the _main_ reason, he kept watch was because he needed to reassure himself she was here. _Alive_. When she’d walked through that doorway earlier, he almost wanted to pinch himself. He’d lost count of how many times he’d dreamed and hoped of such a miracle these past seven months, and now that his wish had been granted, he didn’t quite know how to handle it. There were so many things he wanted to do, so many things he wanted to say…

For the moment, however, that had to be put aside. When Emily didn’t answer his question, he leaned in a little closer.

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m good,” Emily said. Her certainty didn’t quite reach her eyes, though, Morgan noticed.

“Hey. Look at me.” Morgan placed his hands on her shoulders. “We’ve got this son of a bitch. We’re going to save Declan. This is all going to be over soon. You’ve got this. You saved Declan before. You can do it again.” He cast a pointed gaze at her. “You’re not alone this time.”

That last sentence in particular had Emily swallowing a building lump in her throat. This. This sort of support was what she’d feared she’d lost over the past seven months. JJ had told her, shortly after her return, that the team had been “in shock”, and she’d expected that.

She just hoped they hadn’t come to hate her, too.

Emily simply nodded her thanks, and Morgan backed off, giving her a quick pat on the back. “Let’s do this,” he said, as the two of them headed out to join the rest of the team.

 

* * *

 

At this rate, Emily would swear she’d wind up deaf.

She tried to shield her ears from the shots firing every which way around her, but even that wasn’t enough. Emily tried to fire off a few rounds herself, and in the chaos, she wasn’t entirely sure whom she hit, if she even hit anyone at all.

The entire showdown felt like an eternity, but in all actuality, it lasted only a few fast and furious moments. Next thing she knew, Doyle lie bleeding on the tarmac, there were dead bodies draped elsewhere, and she was breathing a massive sigh of relief as she heard the rest of her teammates’ voices piping up.

She also had Declan in her arms. He was, remarkably, physically unharmed, and _speaking_. Emily wondered if she’d ever hear that innocent young voice again, and took a moment to savor it.

Seeing his hand reach for that of his dying father’s, though...that was an image that would wind up haunting her for a good, long while.

The weight of all that had happened in the last few days finally caved in on her, and all Emily wanted to do was sleep. The last thing she remembered was Morgan’s voice calling to her, his hands helping both her and Declan up.

 

* * *

 

“I’m in.”

Who knew two simple words could be such music to one’s ears? Morgan wouldn’t have blamed Emily one bit for refusing the offer to return to the team – if he’d been in her shoes, he would’ve debated the idea, too, at the very least.

But on a personal, admittedly selfish level, he was thrilled with her decision. These past seven months had given him a lot to mull over, made him truly realize what he’d initially thought he’d missed out on forever. It didn’t take a genius to realize this was clearly a second chance offering on a big silver platter.

As grateful as he was for this opportunity, however, he knew he couldn’t rush things. She’d been through so much, and he knew full well rebuilding their friendship alone would take some time. And he vowed to learn to treasure that bond even more this time around, too.

Morgan waited until the rest of the team had left the office, catching up to Emily as she made her way towards the doors.

“Hey, Em?” he began. When she turned to him, though, whatever else he’d planned to say had died on his lips. He took in her appearance again, and did the only thing he could think to do at that moment, wrapping his arms around her. He held back a smile as he felt her hands tentatively touch his waist in turn.

“What was that for?” Emily asked, pulling away. Her grin was hesitant, yet pleased.

Morgan shrugged. “Just wanted to say I’m glad you’re back.” He placed his hands on his hips. “And that all this action lately has left me kinda hungry. You wanna go grab a bite somewhere or something?”

The grin finally spread, a genuine warmth flooding Emily’s chest. “I’d like that,” she said.

Morgan wrapped an arm around her shoulder, pulling her in close. “Welcome home, Emily,” he murmured.


	5. Adjustment

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Penelope Garcia/Derek Morgan**

_Wistful – ** **100**** ** **words**** – What could have been? Oh, if only [they](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TheOneThatGotAway) were here now!_

_Don’t stop, don’t stop. Just keep on walking._

Garcia made her way down the hall, her stance defiant. Today was Monday, and she’d promised herself she wouldn’t do this anymore. She allowed herself a week’s worth of mourning. That was enough.

As she passed Morgan’s former office, though, her steps slowed anyway. She stopped at the doorway, glancing into the empty room. Her eyes misted over as she bit her lip.

She had to quit doing this. It wasn’t like Morgan was dead, after all. He was alive and well and still living in the area. She could visit him anytime.

It wasn’t the same, though. She loved Savannah and Hank, they were awesome and adorable, and she loved seeing how happy Morgan was with his new family. He deserved all the good things the world could offer him and more.

Still, she liked these moments when she could remember simpler times. Flirty talk that she’d always been extra careful to keep just this side of serious, of spoken “I love you”s and endless nicknames, of being able to come to work every day and see his gorgeous smile and sexy self in person. She always felt safe when he was around, she could be assured he’d do everything possible not just to protect her, but to make sure her friends always came home as well.

Maybe she needed a little more time to mourn than she thought.

Just then, she felt her phone vibrate. Glancing at the screen, she smiled at the name that came up.

_Hey, Baby Girl. Just wanted to wish you a good day at work. I miss you._

Her response was quick.

_I miss you, too._


	6. Striking Out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Erin Strauss/Alex Blake**

_Feb. 6 th: ****Bickering –**** ** **200**** ** **words**** – What says love more than a heaping helping of [belligerent sexual tension?](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/BelligerentSexualTension)_

“Alex.”

The woman in question closed her eyes, stifling a groan.

“Chief Strauss?” she said. She noticed the slightest frown on the other woman’s face at her chilly tone. The satisfaction was tempered by exhaustion, but it was there nonetheless.

Erin stood in front of Alex, hands clasped, unsure of how to broach the topic on her mind. She must’ve stood there a while, because she jumped at Alex’s sudden, impatient tone. “Did you want something?” she asked, trying to catch her eye?

“I was just...wondering...if you wanted to grab a late coffee somewhere. After everything today, I think we could use a pick-me-up.” Her smile was faint, and she tried not to wince at her weak attempt at humor.

“Yeah, ‘cause there’s nothing more exhausting than the threat of being pulled off a very important stalking case, right?” Alex snapped, grabbing her go-bag.

“Like I said, I just don’t want you guys to burn yourselves out over the Replicator,” Erin tried to explain. “A one-track mind can cause its own problems.” She had plenty of firsthand proof of that.

“Or you could let us just do our job and stop meddling,” Alex said. “But then you never were good at knowing when to keep your opinions to yourself, were you?” With that, she pulled the strap of her bag over her shoulder and stalked away. A drink did sound good...just not the sort Erin wanted to have, and definitely not with her.

Erin sighed as she turned to watch the other woman leave. Typical Alex Blake outburst. Another thing that evidently hadn’t changed over the years.

She wasn’t deterred, though. She’d make things right with Alex. Eventually.


	7. Deal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Derek Morgan/Elle Greenaway**

_Feb. 7 th: ****Thrill –**** ** **100**** ** **words**** – [Escape scene!](http://i.imgur.com/nt8cCTg.gif)_

“Run, Elle, run!”

Elle pumped her legs faster at Morgan’s urgent orders. She was starting to feel the ache, but compared to the heat at her back, well...sore legs were easier to deal with.

A sharp tug on her arm sent her flying off to the side of a building, and she was practically shoved down the hall. The next thing she knew, there was a loud bang, and there was a heavy weight hovering over her.

There was a moment of silence before she heard the rapid breathing from above. Morgan backed off, leaning against the wall, giving Elle space to readjust and get her heart rate back to normal.

“Did I mention...I absolutely _hate_...these practice exercises?” she finally managed to say. God, she needed some water, and fast.

“Really? I think they’re kinda fun.” Morgan flashed a grin at her.

Elle smacked his arm before standing, unable to hold back the smile at his mock “ow” in response. “I’m still getting that dinner for doing this on a Saturday, right?” she asked, grinning down at him.

“Derek Morgan never goes back on a promise,” he assured her, as he tossed her her water bottle.


	8. Promise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Emily Prentiss/Jennifer Jareau**

_Feb. 8 th: **Need – 300 words** – When your character needs them, [they are there.](http://i.imgur.com/eKo9Hrs.gif)_

The soft _whirr_ of the jet was distracting. How had she ever managed to fall asleep to that noise before?

Emily had spent the last hour trying to get some rest, using every trick from the trips she’d made with the BAU. Reading a book. Listening to some music. She would’ve even looked over a case file or done some _paperwork_ , if she had any with her.

She was pretty sure this was what rock bottom felt like.

Emily knew, of course, why none of her usual methods were working. But to acknowledge that reason was to accept her current situation, and she was still kinda lingering in the “denial” stage right now.

“I can’t sleep, either.”

Emily jumped at the sound of JJ’s voice. “Sorry,” she continued, as Emily pulled her legs up to give her room on the couch.

“It’s this damned noisy jet,” Emily muttered. “It’s keeping me awake.”

JJ merely nodded, letting that slide.

“What’s keeping _you_ up?” Emily asked. She was curious what JJ’s next plans would be.

“Right now? Making sure your identification’s ready to go.” JJ sighed, shaking her head. “How do criminals manage to change their identities so quickly? Do you _know_ how much red tape is involved?”

“I’m pretty sure the criminals know how to bypass that stuff,” Emily said, relieved when JJ laughed.

“Good point,”

The two fell into a silence again. Emily surprised herself by being the first to break it.

“I’m scared.” There. She’d said it. She’d been feeling that way since she heard Doyle had escaped, but she was too busy running on adrenaline, and later, working on recovering in a hospital, to let that feeling take hold.

But the closer they got to Paris, the quicker the “denial phase” was slipping away.

“So am I,” JJ said, her voice soft. “I won’t let Doyle hurt you. You know that, right?”

“I know.” That was the only part of this crazy plan that didn’t worry her. JJ, and Hotch, would sooner die than let Doyle get his hands on her again.

No, her fears were much more personal. Could she handle yet _another_ identity? What would she do for a job? A place to live? Would Doyle try and find Declan? Would he come after her friends?

And the biggest question on her mind...

“When will I see you again?” Because she _needed_ to believe she’d see everyone again. There was simply no other option.

JJ’s voice was firm. “Hopefully as soon as possible. I will do whatever it takes to make sure you can come home.” She scooted even closer then, enveloping them both in a blanket and wrapping her arms around Emily. “And I’ll always be by your side,” she whispered, kissing the side of Emily’s head. “That, I can promise. Now,” JJ grabbed her hand. “let’s see if we can try and get a bit of sleep.” She settled in and closed her eyes.

Emily continued listening to the _whirr_ of the jet.


	9. Date

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Derek Morgan/Spencer Reid**

_Feb. 9 th: ****Everywhere –**** ** **100**** ** **words**** – This battle was a little bit...[extra messy.](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/LudicrousGibs)_

He just barely managed to hold back the laughter as the other man slowly rounded the corner. The guy’s entire front was splattered with blue, there were flecks of green that had landed on his cheeks, and one of his new shoes had turned red.

Morgan glared at Reid. Not a single speck of color anywhere on him. _Unbelievable._ “Don’t you even _dare_ gloat...” he said, pointing a finger at him. Reid merely snorted in response.

“How did this happen? I was supposed to whoop your ass at paintball!” Morgan continued.

“Did you forget who you were playing against, Derek?” Reid asked, hoisting his paintball gun over his shoulder. “It’s a simple matter of strategy. I can give you some tips if you want.”

“Oh, _you’ll_ give _me_ tips?” Morgan shot back, grinning. “Uh-uh. It’s _on_ , Pretty Boy. I demand a rematch.”

“Name the time and place and you’re on,” Reid said. “Right now, though, I think we have a movie to go see?”

“Right. Let’s get outta here.” He slung an arm around Reid’s shoulders, taking a moment to look at the big smile on his face.

Oh, yeah. There would _definitely_ be a second date.


	10. Power Couple

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Jordan Todd/Emily Prentiss**

_Feb. 10 th: **Tactics – 100 words** – A [coordinated strike](http://imgur.com/7f0H414) on the enemy._

“So _that’s_ him?”

“Yep.”

Jordan crinkled her nose in disgust. “You’re brave.” She turned to face her, eyeing her up and down. “But you look gorgeous.”

Emily rubbed Jordan’s arm. “Thanks. So do you.” She turned back towards the spot in the middle of the club. “So remember, just stay close and wait for the signal to come over, okay?”

Jordan gave a firm nod. “Got it.”

“And stay -”

“- safe. Yeah. I got it, Emily.” She gave her an affectionate smile. “Stop worrying so much.”

Emily shrugged. “Force of habit. All right.” She took a deep breath, steeling herself as she glanced over at Viper. “Let’s get this over with.” With that, Emily turned on her heel and sauntered away. Viper had no clue what was about to hit him.

Jordan smirked at the thought. God, she loved this woman.

 


	11. Dream

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Spencer Reid/Emily Prentiss**
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> Apologies for falling behind on these prompts - it may not be February anymore, but I plan to finish posting the remainder of these over the next couple days. I would like to take a moment to thank everyone who's reviewed/favorited/followed thus far - as always, your support is greatly appreciated!
> 
> Also, I'd like to thank **DeejayMil** for giving me the story idea for this prompt.

_Feb. 11 th: ** **Sacrifice**** **–** ** **Super Saturday word count**** – Pay an escalation cost for each add-on._

****400 words –**** To escape you must leave one of your own people behind to be captured by the enemy.

 ** **\+ 200 words –**** One of the escapees suffers from [Heroic BSOD](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/HeroicBSOD)

 ** **\+ 200 words –**** Add a heaping helping of [Finagle's Law](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/FinaglesLaw)

 ** **\+ 200 words –**** Everything ends up like [this](http://i.imgur.com/Lw8lj3k.jpg)

Fire. There’s fire. _Why is there fire?_

 _Emily._ “Emily? _Emily!_ EMILY!”

He’s stumbling about, frantic. He can barely feel Morgan’s hands trying to pull him back, can vaguely hear his friend’s voice calling to him. _“Reid! C’mon, man, you can’t go back in there!”_

He doesn’t care, though. Emily’s in there. He can’t leave her alone, he just _can’t_ …

He hobbles back towards the compound, practically entranced by the dancing flames.

* * *

She’d laughed at him. “You actually look like you could _be_ one of them,” she said, running her fingers over his slicked back hair, her eyes sparkling with delight. “But in a cute way,” she’d continued, her voice much more serious upon seeing him frown slightly.

He wasn’t _really_ offended by her joke. She knew that, right?

He can feel the heat from the flames as he moves closer and closer towards the compound. Somewhere behind him, people are still yelling his name.

He should’ve known this would happen. They all should’ve. They all knew about Waco. They should’ve prepared for this. _Why weren’t we prepared for this?_

He hurries his pace as much as his throbbing ankle will allow. _Almost there now._

* * *

He makes a slow circle of the outer perimeter of the building. No Emily standing anywhere outside. For a moment, he’s grateful for the flames, as they allow him some light while he scans the area surrounding the building. No sign of her anywhere in the barren land nearby.

He tries to recall the last place he’d remembered seeing her in the building, and makes his way towards that section. The explosion had blown a door off its hinges, allowing for an opening. He breathes a sigh of relief and makes his way inside, dropping to his knees and attempting a steady crawl.

“Emily?” he croaks out. “Em -” A violent coughing fit ensues.

He keeps trying to call out, though. No answer. Is she hiding somewhere? Trapped? Maybe she’s trying to call out, too, and he just can’t hear her over the flames.

The flames creep towards his body, but he doesn’t feel any fear. He can’t. She showed no fear when she offered herself up to Cyrus. “It’s not as bad as it looks,” she’d told him, when he saw the dark spots covering her eye and cheeks.

If she could take it, so can he.

* * *

There’s a flash of something dark on the floor. He’s not sure if he’s hallucinating. He drags himself towards the dark object anyway. It isn’t until he’s practically on the dark object that he knows what it is.

_Hair._

Soft, silky hair at that.

Further examination, and he can actually feel his heart stopping.

_No._

No, it’s not her. It _c_ _a_ _n’t_ be her.

“Emily?” The word barely audible at this point. He tries shaking her.

She doesn’t move.

There’s blood everywhere. All he can think of are Cyrus’ hands, cleaning away _her_ blood, and he feels his own blood boil in response.

Her eyes are closed. He wants to open them, to see those warm brown eyes gazing into his one last time. He can’t tell if his tears are because of the fire or his grief. Probably both. He lies down next to her, wrapping an arm around her body as he chokes out a sob.

_I’m right here. I’m not going to leave you._

“Spencer?”

His head shoots up, and he glances at Emily’s face. Her eyes still closed, her mouth isn’t moving.

“Spence?”

He begins looking around frantically. _Where’s that coming from?_

“ _Spencer...”_

* * *

“Spencer!”

Reid jolted awake, falling into Emily’s arms as she kept him from rolling off the couch.

“Whoa, whoa, easy, _easy_!” Emily murmured as she helped him settle back into his spot. “What on earth is the matter with you?”

Reid’s heart was pounding as he stared at her. “You’re alive,” he breathed after a moment.

Emily blinked. “Um. Yes?” She furrowed her brow in confusion, before it dawned on her. “You had a nightmare,” she said, her voice gentle.

Reid nodded, silently willing his heart to settle. “You were trapped in the building, and I...I tried to crawl in and save you, but I...I couldn’t...”. He shook his head. He couldn’t even bear to finish the story.

Emily immediately settled next to Reid on the couch, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. “I’m right here, Spencer, okay? I’m fine. It’s okay.” She held him for a few moments, one hand on his cheek, the other softly stroking his upper back. Reid had placed a hand on her arm, gripping it tightly.

“I’m sorry,” Reid said, pulling away.

“Don’t be. Happens to all of us.” Emily was pretty sure she’d have a few nightmares from this case as well. She couldn’t get Kathy’s devastated face out of her mind, or that gun pointed right at Reid’s head.

“I should’ve said I was -”

Emily held up a hand. “Don’t. We’ve been over that.” She moved to slip her arms around his waist this time, flinching when Reid hissed and tried to shift away.

“Oh, god, I’m sorry! Did I -”

“No, no. Cyrus did that.” Reid tried to hide a grimace as he clutched his side, missing the dark look on Emily’s face at that news. “It’s not that bad, though, really,” he continued, when she didn’t say anything. “Believe it or not, it hurt worse when Hotch kicked me in the stomach.”

Emily’s brows shot up at that last sentence. _What?_

Reid caught her stunned expression as he carefully resettled himself. “Oh, that’s right. You weren’t here for that. Long story.” He gingerly stretched an arm out, inviting her to snuggle up against him. She did, being very careful to keep one hand on his chest, and the other between their bodies. And if his grip on her shoulders was a little tight, she wasn’t about to complain. Reid draped the blanket around them, and the two sat in silence for a while.

Eventually, Reid heard Emily’s breathing even out. She’d finally fallen asleep. He lightly kissed her forehead, moving his hand to stroke her hair, before resting his head against hers.

He tried to clear the horrible images from that dream, focusing once more on her eyes, her laugh, her beautiful smile. He let his mind drift to images of nights curled up together, watching movies, kissing, loving each other. Him reading poems to her, her regaling him with stories of her world travels. The change in thought worked, and he found himself relaxing to the point where he felt comfortable closing his eyes, too.

As he slowly drifted off, he dreamed of a white dress and small arms, and against her hair, he smiled.

 


	12. Stress Relief

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Penelope Garcia/Kate Callahan**

_Feb. 12 th: ** **Arcadian –**** ** **100**** ** **words**** – A break, some down time, [a moment of peace](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ArcadianInterlude)_

“Oh, my gosh, look at the little one rolling around!”

Kate’s grin was huge as she pointed at the baby panda bear tumbling about on the laptop screen. Garcia joined in with the cooing, making a weird little flappy motion with her hands.

“Ooh. That reminds me! Have you seen this one?” Garcia went digging for a video clip of puppies crawling all over each other in a box. Kate giggled as one of the puppies stepped on the head of another who was trying to sleep.

“Silly little babies,” she said, chuckling. “Makes you wonder what’s going through their heads sometimes, doesn’t it?”

Garcia nodded in agreement.

“You don’t know how much I needed this, Pen. Thanks,” Kate continued, her voice soft. She turned to face Garcia, a meaningful look on her face.

Garcia softly kissed Kate’s cheek. “Your happiness is thanks enough,” she replied, patting her hand. “Next up on my ‘how to unwind after a case’ list: knitting!”

Kate laughed as Garcia searched for the next baby animal video.


	13. Nerves

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Derek Morgan/Jordan Todd**
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> I don't know if this quite fits the prompt, but eh, well.

_Feb. 13 th: ** **The Breach –**** ** **100**** ** **words –****[Image prompt! XD](http://imgur.com/zoEDmcV)_

“Make sure to take a left up here so we can – ”

“I got it,” Jordan said abruptly, her focus remaining on the road.

Morgan sighed. “I know you do,” he began, trying to keep his tone level. “I’m just helping. Sometimes driving in a new part of town can be tricky.”

“I’ve traveled to many unfamiliar places before. Trust me. I’ve got this.” She gave him a sideways glance.

Morgan shook his head. This was, what, the fourth fight they’d had this week alone? When Morgan asked her out for dinner, that had somehow led to an argument over who would pick up whom. Then a couple days ago they’d fought over _where_ to go for dinner.

And not even ten minutes ago there was a back and forth over what to listen to on the radio, and now this. Certainly not a good omen for a first date. _Why did she even agree to go out with me?_

For a time, there was only the sound of the radio, which was tuned to a jazz station. Then Jordan let out her own sigh.

“I’m sorry, Derek,” she said, her voice quiet.

Morgan turned his attention from the window to look at her. “What?”

“I’m sorry. For snapping at you. I guess I’m just...a little nervous, you know?” _About the date, about this job, about...everything._ “And apparently I get a little snippy when I’m nervous.”

Morgan nodded. “Yeah, I get that. I can be that way sometimes, too.” He flashed her a soft, genuine smile. “It’s cool.” He was pleased to see her smile in turn. He definitely wanted to see more of that smile.

Jordan chuckled, throwing him a sly look. “Yeah, who knows, maybe this is a story we can tell our kids someday.”

“ _What_?” Morgan straightened in his seat, eyes wide, only to roll his eyes when Jordan started laughing.

“I’m kidding, _I’m kidding_!”

Morgan could only join in the laughter. He was starting to have a good feeling about tonight.


	14. Gift

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **David Rossi/Aaron Hotchner**

_Feb. 14 th: ****True Lov**** ** **e – 300**** ** **words**** – Your character's love for a person/thing knows no bounds. It is [purer than a mountain stream](http://i.imgur.com/xRzXUfa.jpg) and [more beautiful than a supernova.](http://i.imgur.com/60kaAZg.jpg)_

Rossi put a finger to his lips, shushing the other person coming down the stairs.

Jack nodded, making a show of tiptoeing down to meet him. Rossi could barely hold back a smile at the image. The kid really was too cute.

“All right, Jack,” Rossi said as the two of them made their way into the kitchen. “You are about to be involved in a very top secret project. It’s a big responsibility, one I entrust to only a select few. Think you’re ready?”

Jack nodded enthusiastically. He’d heard his dad tease Dave over how fussy he was when it came to letting people help him cook, so he knew this had to be a big deal. And he was prepared to take his role of assistant chef _very_ seriously.

Rossi placed a chef’s hat on Jack’s head, and Jack giggled as it fell over his eyes. They washed up and got out all the items needed for their special assignment.

“All right,” Rossi proclaimed. “Let the cooking festivities begin!”

There was a flurry of activity. Jack did most of the pouring and stirring, while Rossi handled the oven side of things. They kneaded dough, only to wind up having a mini food fight, and each snuck a couple bites of chocolate.

Some time later, the food was done, the kitchen cleaned up, and Jack was busy setting the table. Rossi beamed as he set the food onto plates.

Yes. This would be perfect.

* * *

 

Hotch could hear some clanking from downstairs, and the soft murmur of Rossi and Jack’s voices. He wasn’t surprised that Rossi was up this early, but Jack being up at eight in the morning? On a Saturday, no less? It didn’t take a profiler to realize something was definitely up. The distant smell of food only further proved that.

He proceeded to clean up and put on a nice shirt and slacks – he just had a distinct feeling he would need them – and made his way downstairs and towards the kitchen.

“Ah, perfect timing!” Rossi said, grinning as he saw the surprised expression on Hotch’s face.

“Happy anniversary!” Jack shouted, jumping up and down.

Rossi chuckled at Jack’s exuberance. He gestured to the food in front of him. “We have coffee, cornettis, juice – ”

“And fretas!” Jack said, still a bit bouncy.

“Frittatas,” Rossi corrected gently. “Sit and dig in.”

Hotch smiled at the happy faces before him. “Thank you both. This looks delicious.” He settled in, reaching a hand up to clasp Rossi’s arm when the other man came over to wish him a happy anniversary with a kiss atop his head.

Jack giggled at his dads’ mushy behavior. If that’s how his dad reacted to breakfast, he could just imagine how Dave would respond to that ring he’d seen his dad trying to hide the other day.

 


	15. Trapped

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Spencer Reid/Elle Greenaway**

_Feb. 15 th: ****Foldable –**** ** **100**** ** **words**** – No one's battle gear would be complete without a [nifty weapon!](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SwissArmyWeapon)_

“We’re stuck.”

Elle raised an eyebrow at Reid. “You just now figuring that out, Sherlock?”

Reid ignored her comment, continuing to tap at the door. “There’s got to be some way out of here.”

“We could try kicking the door down.”

Reid blinked at her. “You know I’m not Morgan, right?”

Elle gave him a once-over, taking in his thin frame. At least he could rival Morgan for looking good in a tux. “Right. Sorry.” She placed her hands on her hips, humming to herself as she stared at the door.

“Wait! I’ve got it!” she said a moment later. Reid was surprised to see her pull a Swiss Army Knife out of her purse.

She noticed his confusion. “What? A girl’s gotta protect herself.” She gestured for Reid to stand back, before beginning to furiously chip away at what looked to be a weak link in the lock with the knife. At one point she nicked her finger, cursing and brushing off Reid’s attempt to check the wound. She knew he’d check the moment they got out of here, though.

“All right, come help me, Reid,” Elle said a short time later. A couple firm pushes, and finally, the door budged just enough for the two of them to squeeze through.

“Well done, Elle,” Reid said, smiling at her.

Elle busied herself with trying to brush the dirt off her now slightly torn dress in an attempt to hide her blush. “Thanks.”

“How’s your finger?” _Accidentally locking us in a shed, ruining her dress, and now she’s got a cut on her finger. Good job, self._

“It’s _fine_ , Reid.” She let him examine her finger anyway, trying to avoid noticing how gently his thumb rubbed against her palm. “I’ll get a Band-Aid when we get back, if it’ll make you happy. Okay?”

Reid nodded, satisfied with that answer. He gestured ahead then, keeping close to Elle as the two headed off in search of their SUV.

“Think we can just leave this little detail out of our report?” Reid asked.

Elle laughed. “What, you don’t think the higher ups would get a kick out of hearing about how we got trapped in a shed while trying to spy on our unsub?” Reid shrugged, chuckling slightly at her comment. She _was_ right. It was kind of a funny story.

“Sorry about your dress,” he continued then.

“Eh, don’t worry about it. Just one of the many risks of the job, right? Besides,” Elle said, giving him a small smirk, “this is one of the more fun undercover jobs I’ve had.” She nudged Reid with her arm.

Reid was about to respond when he looked up ahead. The rest of the team was gathered together in a parking lot, an officer ushering the unsub into a squad car. Morgan, Gideon, and JJ looked in Reid and Elle’s direction, their faces a mix of confusion and amusement.

“What on earth happened to you two?” JJ asked as Reid and Elle met up with them.

The two looked at each other for a moment, sharing a smile.

“Long story.”


	16. Competition

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Derek Morgan/Kate Callahan**

_Feb. 16 th: **Better – 200 words** – Together we can defeat the enemy! [Some of us can do that better than others, though.](http://i.imgur.com/HcJvuBX.jpg)_

“You’re cheating!”

“How am I cheating?”

“I don’t know, but I know you’re cheating.”

Morgan gaped at Kate. “I’m pressing buttons. How can you cheat pressing buttons?”

“You...know some cheat code or something!” Kate threw her arms in the air, sputtering. “Have you played this video game before?”

Morgan held up a hand. “I solemnly swear I have never played this video game before in my life.” He continued working the controller. “I _have_ played plenty of other video games before, though.”

“So have I,” Kate said. “I spent weekends at the mall competing against my friends at arcade games.”

“Well, this isn’t an arcade game. Maybe you’ve lost your touch.” Morgan grinned at Kate as he said this, causing her jaw to drop in shock.

“Oh, you did _not_ just say that. Okay. It’s _really_ on now.”

The two continued to race their way through the game, each trying to fight off the bad guys and nab the little reward trinkets. Then another voice interrupted them.

“Ooh, I like this game!” Meg settled herself on the arm of the couch, watching Kate and Morgan, making a show of cheering both of them on.

“Nooooo!” Kate cried a short time later, as she watched her character die on screen. She turned to Morgan. “All right. I concede. You played well.”

“Glad you remembered my advice about how to sneak past that secret trap,” Meg said.

“Secret trap?” Kate asked, looking back and forth between Morgan and Meg.

“...oops.” Meg shifted awkwardly on the couch.

Kate turned her focus back to Morgan, narrowing her eyes at him.

“...I really _was_ telling the truth about never playing this game before, I swear, _I swear_...” Morgan began sheepishly, before Kate whacked him with a couch pillow. All three of them began laughing as Morgan pulled Kate into his lap and brought Meg down next to them, as the women continued to playfully bat at him with the pillows.

He could definitely get used to evenings like this.


	17. Keeping Watch

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Reid/Seaver**
> 
> Picking up where I left off on this series - good opportunity to finish this month out.

_Feb. 17th: **KO – 100 words**  – A character gets knocked out by the enemy and wakes to one of their comrades looking at them like this._

The hairs on the back of Reid's neck were standing up. Somebody's eyes were on him.

_You're on the jet. Far away from Miami, far away from Walker and the creepy ritual stuff._

He carefully turned his head anyway, one eye open.

"Hi." Ashley's voice was soft, uncertain.

"Hi." He propped himself up on an elbow, rubbing his eyes. "What's up?"

"I didn't mean to bother you," Ashley said quickly, "I just...noticed you were tossing and turning, and..."

"I'm okay," Reid said, waving a hand at her.

"Were you having a bad dream?" When Reid didn't respond, she continued. "I toss and turn sometimes when I have bad dreams."

"No. Just can't get quite comfortable, 'cause..." He gestured to the spot on his head where Walker had hit him.

Ashley nodded. The way Reid had rubbed his eyes told her there was more, but he didn't look eager to talk. "Well, would an extra pillow help? Something soft for your head?" Before Reid could answer, she grabbed the pillow from her seat and brought it over.

"Worth a try," Reid said. He set her pillow atop his.

"Good. Well...I'll let you get some sleep, then." Ashley turned towards her seat.

"Ashley?"

She glanced back.

"Thanks." The two exchanged a small smile.

For the remainder of the flight, Ashley's eyes didn't leave Reid.


End file.
